701-1551-00L  Sustainability Assessment

SemesterAutumn Semester 2018
LecturersP. Krütli, C. E. Pohl
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish


AbstractThe course deals with the concepts and methodologies for the analysis and assessment of sustainable development. A special focus is given to the social dimension and to social justice as a guiding principle of sustainability. The format of the course is seminar-like, interactive.
ObjectiveAt the end of the course, students:
- know core concepts of sustainable development, the concept of social justice in the context of sustainability, a selection of methodologies for the assessment of sustainable development
- have a deepened understanding of the challenges of trade-offs between the different goals of sustainable development and their respective impacts on individual and societal decision-making
ContentThe course is structured as follows:
- overview of rationale, objectives, concepts and origins of sustainable development (ca. 15%)
- overview of the concept of social justice as guiding principle of the social dimension of sustainability (ca. 25%)
- analysis of a selection of methodologies to assess sustainable development in a variety of contexts (60%)
Lecture notesHandouts are provided
LiteratureSelected scientific articles and book-chapters
Prerequisites / NoticeStudents of this course may also be interested in the course transdisciplinary case study (tdCS) in the Spring semester (701-1502-00L)